SAN ANTONIO — UTSA will open its 2016-17 campaign at 9 p.m. (CT) on Friday, Nov. 11, when it travels west to take on defending Mountain West Conference Champion Fresno State at the Save Mart Center.
The contest will mark the regular-season debut for first-year head coach Steve Henson, who led the Roadrunners to a 91-89 victory over Arkansas Tech in their only exhibition game. Junior Jeff Beverly paced UTSA with a double-double of 28 points and 13 rebounds, while sophomore Nick Allen also had a double-dip with 16 points and 11 boards. Senior J.R. Harris added 15 points, while freshman Giovanni De Nicolao earned the start and scored 12, including the tying and winning baskets.
Meanwhile, the Bulldogs are picked to finish fourth in the Mountain West and they return three starters and six letterwinners from last year's team that went 25-10 and earned the Mountain West's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Despite losing the league's Player of the Year in Marvell Harris, Fresno State welcomes back guard/forward Paul Watson and forward Karachi Edo. The Bulldogs defeated Cal State San Bernardino, 76-69, in their lone exhibition game.
Friday's matchup will mark the second all-time meeting between the programs. UTSA took the only previous game, 83-79, back on Nov. 22, 2011, in the consolation rounds of the Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off, which was played in Fort Collins, Colo. Led by 14 points apiece from Kannon Burrage and Melvin Johnson III, UTSA built a 20-point second-half lead en route to the victory in that contest.
Along with the Mountain West Network feed, fans in the San Antonio Area can listen to all the action from the Save Mart Center on The Bull 92.5/93.3 FM beginning with the pre game show at 8:30 p.m. (CT) with Jay Howard on the call. The broadcast also can be heard online at goUTSA.com or on your mobile device with the free iHeartRadio app.
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